In a stunning move, the Wisconsin Badgers are finalizing a deal to hire Luke Fickell as their next head coach. Many thought interim head coach Jim Leonhard would become the next Wisconsin head coach but this is not the case. Instead, the Badgers decided to make a big splash hire and go with Luke Fickell. Who is Luke Fickell? Meet the new Badgers head coach.
Source close to #Wisconsin football program confirmed that #Badgers will name Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell as head coach and plan to announce it later today.
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) November 27, 2022
Meet Luke Fickell: The Badgers Next Head Coach
Fickell started his coaching career in the year 2000 as a defensive line coach for Akron. After two years there he became the special teams’ coordinator at Ohio State under Jim Tressel. He became the co-defensive coordinator in 2005 and in 2010 was named Assitant Coach of the Year. After a scandal hit Tressel and Ohio State, Luke Fickell spent one year as the interim head coach. After that year, the Buckeyes then hired Urban Meyer and Fickell returned to his defensive coordinator duties until 2016.
Time At Cincinnati
Fickell was hired as the head coach of the University of Cincinnati in 2016 and he turned the program around quickly during his time there. After going 4-8 in his first season, he has subsequently posted winning records in all of his years at Cincinnati. His most impressive season came in 2021. The Bearcats went undefeated, defeating multiple power 5 conference teams along the way, and consequently got a College Football Playoff berth. Luke Fickell proved to many that he could take a program and make them nationally relevant.
This is certainly a great hire for the Wisconsin football program. Luke Fickell has been able to take the talent given to him and compete at a high level. The concern with hiring Leonhard was that the program wouldn’t flourish. The heads of Wisconsin athletics clearly thought the same thing and decided to go with a huge name. Luke Fickell is a great hire for the Badgers. His hire subsequently gives a lot more optimism for next season.
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